tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-60546040869473239742015-02-25T08:28:38.265-07:00Beer at 6512A beer blog for DurangoSoggy Coasterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14646016892555782239noreply@blogger.comBlogger355125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6054604086947323974.post-85557425216235438052012-02-02T10:00:00.003-07:002012-02-02T10:00:01.344-07:00Beer cans and BPACans are an explosive source of growth in the craft beer industry. Beginning with<a href="http://www.oskarblues.com/"> Oskar Blues</a> in Lyons, Colorado, breweries including Durango's <a href="http://skabrewing.com/">Ska Brewing Co</a>. and S<a href="http://steamworksbrewing.com/">teamworks Brewing Co</a>. have turned to cans as it became clear than consumers in many cases prefer them to bottles.<br /><br />Now many brewers, particularly in Colorado, are canning craft beers, and canned craft has become ubiquitous at retail.<br /><br />Cans have certain advantages: They are lighter and thus cheaper to ship. They are easy to recycle and tend to be recycled at higher rates than bottles. They are more portable and conducive to outdoor activities. And they are impermeable, so beer-spoiling light and oxygen can't enter the package.<br /><br />Craft breweries have responded to consumer demand with a rush toward cans. Ska's top-selling beer, Modus Hoperandi IPA, is sold primarily in cans. Durango's largest brewery just last year repackaged its summer seasonal, Mexican Logger, and greatly increased the lager's production and distribution.<br /><br />Steamworks has also adopted cans. So has Colorado's largest craft brewer, <a href="http://www.newbelgium.com/home.aspx">New Belgium</a>, the third-largest craft brewery by production in the U.S. Oskar Blues, the canned craft beer pioneer, is packaging "tall boy" 16-ounce cans. That's just the highlights; an exhaustive list of craft breweries using cans would be, well, exhausting.<br /><br />Cans have been particularly popular in Colorado. This is partly because one of the nation's largest manufacturers of cans, <a href="http://www.ball.com/">Ball Corp</a>., is located in Golden, not far from Coors.<br /><br />The only disadvantage regarding cans that has been widely circulated is the obvious fact that aluminum for cans must be mined, and mining comes with a long list of environmental risks and drawbacks. Personally, I feel that I generally get a smoother pour from bottles than cans when I decant into a glass, but that's a minor quibble.<br /><br />To arrive at my point: No one is talking about BPA in beer cans.<br /><br />BPA, technically known as bisphenol-A, is a chemical used in the epoxy linings for beer cans and many other products, likely including the Ball Corp. cans used by most canning craft breweries in Colorado.<br /><br />BPA has been an increasingly decried consumer bogeyman. It's an endocrine disrupter, and as <a href="http://yourlife.usatoday.com/fitness-food/diet-nutrition/story/2011-11-23/BPA-levels-spiked-after-eating-canned-soup/51368968/1">USA Today</a> put it, "It's been linked with diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular disease in humans and has been shown to interfere with reproductive development in animals."<br /><br />Many consumer products have been redesigned recently to be BPA-free, most famously those Nalgene water bottles. Nalgene was forced to make BPA-free bottles to stem a consumer backlash.<br /><br />A recent study regarding BPA in soup cans caught a lot of attention. The peer-reviewed <a href="http://jama.ama-assn.org/content/306/20/2218.2.short">study</a> released in November found that people who ate canned soup every day had a more than 1,200 percent increase in BPA in their urine samples. The study is already prompting boxed soups to advertise their BPA-free status.<br /><br />My question: If eating soup from a can every day increases your BPA level by 1,200 percent, what about drinking beer from a can every day? What about when you get a six-pack of, say, Modus Hoperandi and drink it within a few days? What if you're tailgating and drink several canned Coors?<br /><br />The headlong rush to can craft beer seems to be ignoring this issue entirely. While some publicity has brought changes to products like water bottles and soup containers, no such backlash has occurred among some of the very same people who regularly drink canned craft beer.<br /><br />I sent an email to a Ball Corp. spokesman seeking comment. To the company's credit, spokesman Stephen McCarty responded almost immediately. It's a long response, but I've included most of it because it's good information:<br /><br /><i>"Almost all aluminum and steel beverage and food cans use epoxy-based coatings inside cans as a barrier between the metal and the products in the can," McCarty said. "Ball buys these coatings from suppliers."</i><br />He added: <br /><i>• Cans are coated with epoxy resin to prevent corrosion, extend shelf life, protect the food contents from the metal packaging and protect the metal packaging from the food contents.</i><br /><i>• Metal packaging with internal coatings reduces the potential for serious illness by enabling high temperature sterilization.</i><br /><i>• This sterilization virtually eliminates the dangers of food poisoning from microbial contaminants.</i><br /><i>• Epoxy-based coatings have been used in cans for decades to protect the product inside the can through various packing processes and to increase its shelf life afterward.<br /><br />Epoxy-based coatings may contain trace amounts of BPA. Scientific evidence evaluated by regulatory agencies in the United States, Canada, Europe, Japan, Australia and New Zealand has consistently shown these coatings to be safe, and regulatory agencies have stated that human exposure to BPA from epoxy-based can coatings is well below safe exposure limits set by government bodies worldwide.</i> <i><br />&nbsp;</i><br /><i>• The U.S. Food &amp; Drug Administration is expected to comment again on BPA later this year. The FDA last commented on BPA on Jan. 15, 2010, when it concluded, "FDA is not recommending that families change the use of infant formula or foods, as the benefit of a stable source of good nutrition outweighs the potential risk from BPA exposure." ...<br /><br />"While these regulatory agency statements seem to affirm the safety of epoxy-based can coatings, public discussion continues regarding bisphenol-A. Ball recognizes that significant interest exists in non epoxy-based coatings, and we have been proactively working with coatings suppliers and our customers to evaluate alternatives to current coatings," McCarty said. </i> <i><br />&nbsp;</i><br /><i>• Currently there is not a viable alternative to epoxy-based coatings that meets the existing requirements of all products packaged in cans.<br />&nbsp;• Early results from ongoing test packs that began in mid-2008 using potential alternative coatings have been mixed.<br />&nbsp;• There are limited alternatives for certain, nonaggressive products. Those alternatives pose performance, shelf life, environmental or supply availability challenges.<br />&nbsp;• Coatings companies are working on alternatives to epoxy coatings. Once they are identified, it will then be a question of how long it will take the new coating(s) to obtain regulatory approval and to be produced in sufficient amounts by suppliers to meet the needs of the market.<br />&nbsp;• In limited cases, Ball is converting some foods to cans that use an FDA-approved non epoxy-based coating, typically involving less acidic products.</i><br /><i>• Ball continues to participate in industry trade associations on BPA-related issues, and we will work with the FDA to update the agency on our progress and avoid any unintended consequences from possible alternatives to epoxy-based coatings.<br /><br />McCarty added: "We are committed to responding to our customers' needs. If interest continues in non epoxy-based coatings, we will offer cans with those coatings when the coatings become commercially available."</i> <br /><br />Essentially, Ball acknowledges that it does indeed use epoxy linings that may contain BPA in its cans, and says there is no good alternative at the moment.<br /><br />For craft brewers, it may pay to keep their options open. New Belgium downplayed the risks in a 2008 online <a href="http://www.newbelgium.com/Community/Blog/08-06-19/Speaking-of-CANS.aspx">response</a> to a customer's question: <i>"We became aware of BPA in epoxy resin can liners during our due diligence prior to deciding on packaging in cans. We looked into the matter thoroughly. What became apparent is that there are no cans whose lining does not contain BPA. The industry is actively looking for alternatives, but as yet, none exist. We still believe the benefits of cans outweigh the potential risk of the liners because the anxiety surrounding BPA seems to have far outstripped the science</i>.<i>"</i><br /><br />Dave Thibodeau, Ska's president and co-founder, leads a brewery that has rode a wave of mushrooming sales of craft cans. "There are very trace amounts of BPA in the liner of the can," he said in an email. "The levels are far less than that of steel cans and also way below what the FDA says is safe."<br /><br />"As of now there is no aluminum can made without any BPA. The liner is there to protect the consumer from the aluminum."<br /><br />Thibodeau added that Ska will be interested in BPA-free cans whenever they become available from Ball. "I know their mad scientists are working on an alternative and as soon as there is one we'll be all over it," he said.<br /><br />Kris Oyler, a co-founder and general head honcho at Steamworks, said BPA seems to have little effect in adults — the main concern is the chemicals' effects on developing fetuses and children.<br /><br />"From the research we have seen, it would take a lot of canned beer to have any overall adverse affects to an individual beer consumer," he said in an email message.<br /><br />Oyler added, "We are not concerned that the general populous knows about BPA-lined beverage cans. To the contrary, more education is better. Beer drinkers can make their own educated decisions about what they want to put into their bodies and furthermore can make those changes. Studies have shown a reduction in BPA levels with the consumption of fresh foods — something we should all do more of. Balancing out a couple of canned beers with a fresh salad from a local farmer can go a long way."<br /><br />"Our local consumers also have a choice to come in to our establishment for beer from the tap. Or they can purchase a glass half gallon growler for their beer. They can drink some of their beer from other brewers bottles. There are many choices and I think the key is balance and moderation in all things. Eating canned soup every day is not really healthy or balanced."<br /><br />Oyler said Steamworks "would certainly be interested" in a BPA-free can. "We believe the can is a solid container for beer and the benefits ... are still worth pursuing."<br /><br />For my take, cans certainly have their advantages, and craft beer drinkers love their convenience and portability. Hopefully, the market will soon demand that Ball and its competitors come up with a way to manufacture effective BPA-free cans. <br /><br />As the Nalgene backlash illustrated, consumer preferences can turn on a dime, especially where their health is concerned. For their sake and mine, I hope brewers continue to offer their products in glass packaging as well as cans.<br /><br />I'm not ready to give up on cans altogether. But until brewers can adopt a BPA-free can, I'll be buying my beer in glass bottles and growlers whenever I can, and limiting my use of cans to the golf course and backpacking trail — where bottles are clearly impractical — and for the occasional great beer that's only offered in cans.<br /><br />It may not be time to get rid of those bottling lines just yet.Soggy Coasterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14646016892555782239noreply@blogger.com183tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6054604086947323974.post-73939668618736992592012-02-01T09:08:00.000-07:002012-02-01T09:08:38.785-07:00Holy Crap, it's Snowdown!<div style="text-align: justify;">'Round these parts, it was Christmas yesterday. Then I woke up to find that it is already February and time for more celebration and revelry in the streets&nbsp;of Durango for the annual Snowdown Winter Carnival! As in years past, there are several local beer releases for&nbsp;the event.&nbsp;</div><br /><div align="justify" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Qxir_sjWR4g/Tyla7k9SBrI/AAAAAAAAB40/MfwXEd_c4YY/s1600/carver_logo.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Qxir_sjWR4g/Tyla7k9SBrI/AAAAAAAAB40/MfwXEd_c4YY/s1600/carver_logo.png" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Carver's&nbsp;has a "Fairy Tale Pale Ale" on tap. It's a nicely hopped American Pale not unlike the mainline Jack Rabbit Pale Ale. &nbsp;Though not related to Snowdown, they also had an Imperial Stout on tap that was thoroughly quaffable for being a relatively big beer. In fact, two of these and a burger totally changed&nbsp;my outlook on the&nbsp;day last Wednesday. </div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-P4MiGyfZNCw/TylbUq2hkkI/AAAAAAAAB48/hI7v-kGTuw0/s1600/Steamworks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-P4MiGyfZNCw/TylbUq2hkkI/AAAAAAAAB48/hI7v-kGTuw0/s1600/Steamworks.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Steamwork's will be tapping a "Black Fairy Firkin" on Friday prior to the parade on Main Street. We are told that this is&nbsp;based on their award wining&nbsp;Backside Stout that has be re-fermented in the firkin with&nbsp;maple syrup and anise.&nbsp;This is a continuation of their first Friday firkin releases of experimental brews that have been fun to sample this winter.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-a-kGnIh2oHI/Tylbefq8gYI/AAAAAAAAB5E/OJ1BwTvBPNY/s1600/SkaFariesWearBoots.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="193" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-a-kGnIh2oHI/Tylbefq8gYI/AAAAAAAAB5E/OJ1BwTvBPNY/s200/SkaFariesWearBoots.jpg" width="200" /></a>Ska Brewing Co. has been tweaking a spiced Brown Ale recipe for a few months now, and the effort pays off in this year's Snowdown special release. Faeries Wear Boots is a spiced Brown Ale that would fit well in a Winter Ale/ Winter Warmer category (for those of you that heed such things). Brewed with all of the holiday spices, this one packs a punch of bold flavorings on top of&nbsp;a mid-bodied Brown Ale base backed with&nbsp;plenty of warmth from all of the delicious alcohol it contains. The brew&nbsp;available on tap, and in 22oz bombers at your favorite local package store. I believe&nbsp;this is part of their "local series" set of releases, so distribution outside of Durango may be limited.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">I&nbsp;enjoyed<a href="http://beerat6512.blogspot.com/2011/01/ska-brewing-releases-snowdown-beer.html" target="_blank"> last year's Black IPA,</a> but I have to say that I really dig this year's brew. I was a fan of the Brown Ale release at Christmas as well, which seems to have been an earlier&nbsp;version of this beer. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Ska will also be hosting a "Punk Rock Breakfast Party" at the Lost Dog Saloon on Sunday morning. For those of you still needing to kick some ass on Sunday morning, or for those of you looking to get a start on the celebrations for the "Big Game" later in the day, this might be the place to go. Beer specials and punk music to get your day started. </div>Erichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03116583438913043905noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6054604086947323974.post-12982195326141832462012-01-26T10:00:00.003-07:002012-01-26T10:00:03.299-07:00Ska Brewing's year in review<a href="http://skabrewing.com/">Ska Brewing Co</a>. looks back at its 2011 with this release:<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8uzE14hjeuE/TyF9UUruPdI/AAAAAAAAAew/Xqb_vs9v3FY/s1600/Skalogo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="142" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8uzE14hjeuE/TyF9UUruPdI/AAAAAAAAAew/Xqb_vs9v3FY/s200/Skalogo.jpg" width="200" /></a>Ska Brewing has had an incredible year, full of important milestones and proud accomplishments — at least according to notes taken by the brewery’s management team throughout the year. “I’m glad we wrote this stuff down. It all seems so hazy now,” admitted Ska President and co-founder Dave Thibodeau. “I know we grew, but without our notes I’d be looking to beer bloggers to find out how much and when.”<br /><br />For example, one treasure trove of documentation — titled “press releases” — indicated that at the beginning of 2011 Ska Brewing was named Durango’s Business of the Year by the Durango Chamber of Commerce. That means for the past year Ska has been Defending Business of the Year. The title is notoriously impossible to defend, but Ska can claim many other highlights in 2011.<br /><br />By the end of 2011, Ska had produced 21,257 barrels (bbls) of beer. (A U.S. bbl is 31 gallons.) According to notes found on a recently unearthed thumb drive, Ska announced near the end of 2010 that the company had reached regional craft brewer status, (as defined by the Brewer’s Association), by producing more than 15,000 bbls of beer. Math experts say these numbers show an increase of 28 percent over the previous year, or approximately 28 percent more than the S&amp;P 500 stock index returned in 2011.<br /><br />“Growth in production has allowed us to meet demand in our markets,” says Ska co-founder Bill Graham. “That’s a fancy way of saying we’ve been keeping people around the country supplied with fresh beer — and they’ve been buying it up pretty fast.” <br /><br />According to pictures discovered on Ska’s Facebook page, last spring saw the addition of four new 240-bbl tanks, including three fermenters and one brite tank. This expansion increased Ska’s brewing capacity by 70 percent, and opened the door for the increase in production. <br /><br />The milestones haven’t all been operational, either. Last spring Ska ventured into filmmaking when it produced Brew Minions—a video parody of the Discovery Channel series Brew Masters—with appearances by Ska’s co-founders and employees, and by Dogfish Head Brewing Founder and Brew Masters star Sam Calagione. The not-so-short film poked fun at the Dogfish Head-focused television series, while silently acknowledging that every brewery wishes it had its own TV show.<br /><br />Thibodeau says the film was a success, even though it didn’t fit any traditional mold: “It ended up being over 20 minutes, which was about three times as long as we planned. But people watched it anyway, and they loved it. It’s had 13,000 online views so far.”<br /><br />Other Ska Brewing milestones in 2011:<br /><br />• Ska cans Mexican Logger for the first time, releasing the seasonal lager in all of its markets. <br />• Ska celebrates American Craft Beer Week with the release of Big Shikes Orange Blossom Imperial Pilsner, a beer collaboratively brewed with Westword beer blogger and homebrewer Jonathan Shikes. (In 2010 Ska initiated the first beer blogger brewing collaboration when it invited two local beer bloggers to brew on its pilot system and write about the experience.)<br />• Seth Townsend’s Organic Dubbel wins Ska’s GABF Homebrew Competition and goes on to be entered in the GABF Pro-Am. The beer is also released by the brewery as Sethvleteren 8, no. 19 in Ska’s Local Series.<br />• Ska again participates in the Tour of BoulDurango it helped found, sending four riders to join four other breweries on a 470-mile tour of Colorado’s biggest passes and best brewpubs to raise money for local charities.<br />• Ska loses the L.A. International Beer Competition, but wins many others, including: <br />• Steel Toe Stout: Gold Medal, Great American Beer Festival <br />• Modus Hoperandi IPA: Silver Medals—Stockholm Beer and Whisky Festival and Australian International Beer Awards; Bronze Medal—AmeriCan Festival; Winner, Best Canned IPA—CraftCans.com Poll<br />• Pinstripe Red Ale: Gold Medal—North American Beer Awards; Bronze Medal—Colo. State Fair Nat’l Commercial Microbrew Comp. <br />• Ska Special ESB: Bronze Medal—Australian International Beer Awards; Silver Medal—Colo. State Fair National Commercial Microbrew Comp., Silver Medal—AmeriCan Festival<br />• Buster Nut Brown Ale: Silver Medal—Denver International Beer Fest<br />• True Blonde Ale: Silver Medal—Colo. State Fair National Commercial Microbrew Comp.<br />• True Blonde Dubbel: Bronze Medal—Colo. State Fair National Commercial Microbrew Comp.<br />• Mexican Logger: Winner, Most Sessionable Craft Can—CraftCans.com Poll <br />• Euphoria Pale Ale: Voted Durango’s Best Local Beer by Buzztown<br /><br />• Ska celebrates its 16th Anniversary with a blowout party featuring The Toasters from New York City along with two other bands, more than 20 guest breweries and over 1,000 people in attendance<br />Ska attracts 11,150+ Facebook followers, 5,800+ Twitter followers, and one creepy stalker. <br /><br />“13- or 14,000:1 is a pretty good fan to stalker ratio,” said Thibodeau. “But with all the new breweries starting up, we’re hoping that person will find another ‘favorite’ and lose interest in us."Soggy Coasterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14646016892555782239noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6054604086947323974.post-79619788866152312372012-01-22T10:28:00.003-07:002012-01-22T10:29:33.803-07:00Homebrewing updateThe 19th Hole Red Ale I brewed with a friend was a modest success. We used the Brewer's Best red ale kit, and followed the directions closely since it was the first time homebrewing for both of us.<br /><br />It ended up with a nice flavor. If I were designing the recipe from scratch, I might like a little more robustness. But it turned out as a nice session ale, so I can't complain. I would have liked a little more carbonation as well. We used the priming sugar included in the Brewer's Best kit. It lent some carbonation, but not as much as you would expect in a typical commercial beer.<br /><br />As first attempts go, we were pretty satisfied with the result. The 5-gallon batch yielded 48 12-ounce bottles. The Brewer's Best kits are more or less idiot-proof. <br /><br />Next, we're going to try our hand at brewing a stout using Charlie Papazian's recipe for Cushlomachree Stout from his <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Joy-Homebrewing-Third-null/dp/0060531053/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1327253230&amp;sr=1-1">Joy of Homebrewing</a> book.<br /><br />We're also planning to add a pound of flaked oatmeal for a little more body and creaminess. I'll let you know how it turns out.Soggy Coasterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14646016892555782239noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6054604086947323974.post-53382880929772746452012-01-05T10:00:00.000-07:002012-01-05T10:00:00.102-07:00Firkin Friday @ Steamworks tomorrow!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fXNVN64vFIw/TwXHo4PHWzI/AAAAAAAAB4M/n158bDt-G2M/s1600/steamworks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fXNVN64vFIw/TwXHo4PHWzI/AAAAAAAAB4M/n158bDt-G2M/s320/steamworks.jpg" width="230" /></a></div>Steamworks continues their "First Friday Firkin" tomorrow by tapping a Belgian Framboise style ale at 5pm. I plan on dropping by around 5:30 for a taste and perhaps a pint or two of their other offerings (I think the barleywine may still be available). And if you haven't in a wile, be sure to check out their newly redesigned <a href="http://www.steamworksbrewing.com.%20/" target="_blank">website</a>!<br /><br />Below is the official word:<br /><br /><div class="yiv1647657545MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="yiv1647657545MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="yiv1647657545MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: &quot;sans-serif&quot;; font-size: 14pt;">First 2012 Firkin Friday at Steamworks Brewing Co. on Jan. 6</span></b></div><div class="yiv1647657545MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-family: &quot;sans-serif&quot;;">A Belgian Framboise style ale is planned for the January firkin </span></i></b></div><div class="yiv1647657545MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: &quot;sans-serif&quot;; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 150%;"> &nbsp;</span></div><div class="yiv1647657545MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: &quot;sans-serif&quot;; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">DURANGO, Colo. – The monthly Firkin Fridays continues at Steamworks Brewing Co. on Friday, Jan. 6, 2012, as the Steam Team introduces a Belgian Framboise style ale. The firkin will be tapped at 3 p.m.</span></div><div class="yiv1647657545MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: &quot;sans-serif&quot;; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">“A traditional Framboise or Frambozenbier is a spontaneously fermented raspberry Lambic ale specific to the region near Brussels,” said Ken Martin, Steamworks head brewer. “Our rendition can’t be quite like that because the authentic version involves open air, wild fermentation. </span><span style="font-family: &quot;sans-serif&quot;; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The Lambic can trace its roots back more than 400 years. </span><span style="font-family: &quot;sans-serif&quot;; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">They say t</span><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: &quot;sans-serif&quot;; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">o drink a Lambic style beer is to take a trip back through time.</span><span style="font-family: &quot;sans-serif&quot;; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">”</span></div><div class="yiv1647657545MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: &quot;sans-serif&quot;; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Instead of brewing a Lambic, Steamworks’ Framboise Firkin will use a rich Belgian style brown ale as the base, re-fermented </span><span style="font-family: &quot;sans-serif&quot;; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">and naturally carbonated, or conditioned, in &nbsp;its cask</span><span style="font-family: &quot;sans-serif&quot;; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"> with raspberries. </span><span style="font-family: &quot;sans-serif&quot;; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The yeast transforms the sugar into alcohol within the cask, and carbonation results from the trapped carbon dioxide occurring as a byproduct. </span><span style="font-family: &quot;sans-serif&quot;; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"></span></div><div class="yiv1647657545MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: &quot;sans-serif&quot;; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">“The Belgian Framboise firkin promises to be a balance of rich chocolate and fruit, cut with tartness. Think chocolate raspberry truffles,” explained brewer Spencer Roper. “The beer will have roughly a 7.5 percent ABV, so it should be a nice warm up for these cold winter nights.”</span><span style="font-family: &quot;sans-serif&quot;; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"></span></div><div class="yiv1647657545MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: &quot;sans-serif&quot;; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">A firkin is an old English unit of volume, typically a wooden cask equal to approximately one-quarter of a regular barrel, or nine gallons. Unlike most draft beers, firkin beer is served at about 55 degrees - cool but not cold, and is unpasteurized, unfiltered. Because it contains no preservatives, a firkin beer is designed to be consumed after tapping.</span></div><div class="yiv1647657545MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: &quot;sans-serif&quot;; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Steamworks initiated its Firkin Fridays to introduce additional and unusual specialty craft beers to its regular offerings. </span></div><div class="yiv1647657545MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: &quot;sans-serif&quot;; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The award-winning Steamworks Brewing Co., open 11 a.m. to closing seven days a week, is located at <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1325778276_4">801 E. Second. Ave., Durango</span> (970.259.9200). For further information, visit </span><a href="http://www.steamworksbrewing.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: &quot;sans-serif&quot;; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">www.steamworksbrewing.com</span></a><span style="font-family: &quot;sans-serif&quot;;">. </span></div>.Erichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03116583438913043905noreply@blogger.com0Durango, CO, USA37.27528 -107.8800666999999937.221233500000004 -107.93313919999999 37.3293265 -107.82699419999999tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6054604086947323974.post-85223640388497099752011-12-26T09:00:00.001-07:002011-12-26T21:54:04.495-07:00Pagosa Porters on Tap!<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YNnZC9W1v-U/TvN5arKWivI/AAAAAAAAB3E/MTH2A9jdo58/s1600/brews-pack-porter-classic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YNnZC9W1v-U/TvN5arKWivI/AAAAAAAAB3E/MTH2A9jdo58/s200/brews-pack-porter-classic.jpg" width="94" /></a><b style="font-family: inherit;">Pagosa Brewing Co</b><span style="font-family: inherit;">. has unleashed an avalanche of Porter style brews for the 2011 holiday season. Currently, four of these should be available on tap – Classic Porter, Baltic Porter, Java Porter, and Wassail Porter.</span><br /><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>We were able to stop in at the brewery last weekend to meet up with some friends, and sample the Classic Porter and the Baltic.&nbsp; <span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">As with much of the beer that Pagosa produces, both were excellent, clean examples of the style.&nbsp;</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KvoQHzMu_Uc/TvN5uXwCkOI/AAAAAAAAB3Q/3caAnT2S0RM/s1600/brews-baltic-porter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KvoQHzMu_Uc/TvN5uXwCkOI/AAAAAAAAB3Q/3caAnT2S0RM/s200/brews-baltic-porter.jpg" width="125" /></a>I have been favoring bigger beers lately, and I was partial to the Baltic-style pint that I was able to get 'with a little help from my friends', though usually pints of Pagosa’s larger brews are reserved for Mug Club members. The description states that it was made, “with a whisper of a maplewood smoked finish”. This is indeed the case, as the smoke was very subtle, almost hidden behind the big roastiness from the dark malts. It was definitely a softer smoke character than the Baltic Porter that <a href="http://carverbrewing.com/" target="_blank"><b>Carver Brewing Co.</b></a> currently has on, (itself being none-too-heavy).</div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WLKEJ5KviCk/TvN6Q0Nx8bI/AAAAAAAAB3c/4y228HHb9S8/s1600/PagosaBrewingRedIPAWings.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WLKEJ5KviCk/TvN6Q0Nx8bI/AAAAAAAAB3c/4y228HHb9S8/s200/PagosaBrewingRedIPAWings.jpg" width="144" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Shreddin' Red IPA </i>&amp; wings</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">While catching up and swapping stories, the pint warmed slightly, revealing more of the rich malt character of the brew and some warmth from the 8.9%abv. Yet, the overall experience remained smooth, an effect I attribute to the use of lager yeast.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />All ‘round, the pint landed solidly in my, “Thank you Sir! I’d like another!”, category.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Also on tap was <i>Shreddin’ Red IPA</i>, a hopped-up version of their regular IPA, and a British Bitter-style ale. We ordered these along with some appetizers, and I have to say that the IPA was delicious with the wings. The Bitter was good as well, but as with the Baltic Porter, I enjoyed it more as it warmed slightly, and some of the caramel from the warm, tan body was exposed. (Man, that last bit is kinda hot – makes me think of the beach…)<br /></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Seasonal offerings should continue to appear at Pagosa Brewing alongside the standard lineup throughout the ski season. If you happen in on something you like, drop us a note and let us know!</div>Erichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03116583438913043905noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6054604086947323974.post-55023928910776104162011-12-20T20:50:00.003-07:002011-12-20T20:50:00.157-07:00Texas judge slaps down labeling requirementsA Texas judge, in a ruling issued Monday, <a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/wlf/2011/12/20/update-judge-strikes-down-texas-irrational-speech-limits-on-beer-promotion/">slapped down</a> the state's inane labeling requirements that required brewers to mislead their customers as to what they were drinking.<br /><br />Until now, beer sold in Texas that exceeded 4 percent alcohol by weight had to be labeled "ale," while beer under 4 percent ABW was labeled "beer." This of course made no sense because ale is a type of beer defined by the sort of yeast used and the manner in which fermentation occurs. Ale, as it has been known for centuries, has nothing to do with alcoholic strength.<br /><br />This led to absurdities.<br /><br />Of local concern, S<a href="http://skabrewing.com/">ka Brewing Co</a>., which distributes in Texas, had to label its Mexican Logger with text that read, with admirable bitchiness, "Ale, in Texas." Mexican Logger is a lager and not an ale, so Texas was essentially requiring Ska to mislead its customers in order to sell beer in the Lonestar State.<br /><br />Now Ska, and other breweries that sell their beer in Texas, may label their lagers lager and their ales ale. In another part of the <a href="https://docs.google.com/a/jesterkingbrewery.com/viewer?a=v&amp;pid=explorer&amp;chrome=true&amp;srcid=1zIPv0mBcSS_TNdjvTll-bNMvNtNipuvCF8s_6usYUK1F1rQiihsy1dUgrDbb&amp;hl=en_US">ruling</a>, Federal District Court Judge Sam Sparks (now doesn't that sound like a solid Texas name?), ruled that the state could not prohibit breweries from telling their customers the level of booze they were drinking. Under Texas law, breweries could not say "5.2 percent ABV" or "strong ale" or anything of the sort. Paradoxically, Texas required distillers to tell customers the strength of their hard alcohol.<br /><br />Sparks, in a comedic judicial ruling, as far as such things go, chastised the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission for failing to vigorously defend its own rules.<br /><br />Many of these rules date from the immediate post-Prohibition period, when states that had no clue how to regulate alcohol came up with a ridiculous maze of stupid, ineffectual and counter-factual laws. Breweries, and the consumers who love them, are forced to contend with far too many of these laws to this day. In my native state of Oregon, bars are not allowed to advertise happy hour specials, as the specter of people enjoying relaxation after their daily labor is far outweighed by the state's interest in prohibiting free speech.<br /><br />Sparks' ruling rested on First Amendment grounds. Essentially, he ruled that Texas can't force breweries to include untruthful speech on their products, and also can't force them to hide useful information like alcohol content levels from customers.<br /><br />It's really quite remarkable that we're still dealing with Prohibition 78 years after it ended. It's good on Sparks for defending our First Amendment rights. It's good on <a href="http://jesterkingbrewery.com/blog/">Jester King Craft Brewery</a> of Austin for fighting the good fight, hiring the legal muscle to get this done.<br /><br />And maybe, just maybe, this ruling will send a message to mediocre, stale and arbitrary bureaucracies elsewhere that their interventions are neither necessary nor welcome.Soggy Coasterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14646016892555782239noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6054604086947323974.post-81329306206447474672011-12-16T11:46:00.000-07:002011-12-16T11:46:58.901-07:00Thursday Nitro @ Ska Brewing Co.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-woS5tkNMZ40/TurSmCCT-OI/AAAAAAAABz4/KNua0WcfT4A/s1600/Ska+Dec+2011_sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-woS5tkNMZ40/TurSmCCT-OI/AAAAAAAABz4/KNua0WcfT4A/s320/Ska+Dec+2011_sm.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beer N' Chile at Ska on Thursday Night</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Now, I gotta’ say, it’s a good thing when your local brewery takes care of you.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I stopped into Ska Brewing Co. this evening for the ongoing Thursday night live-music &amp; chili special, and to pick up a keg of Euphoria.&nbsp;</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">To wit, I had been hounding/begging Holly, (the front of house manager at Ska), regarding a 1/2bbl keg of delicious, fresh, <i>my favorite Ska brew ever</i>, Euphoria, for weeks now. Yesterday, she called to offer one to me.&nbsp;</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: small;">Per the season, I received the joyous news that the production team had released 1/2bbl’s of Euphoria to retail with exultation and great praise. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /><span style="font-size: small;">I have to cast the scene of this phone call for you to appreciate the pure ecstasy that it brought me.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /><span style="font-size: small;">I love my job, but here it was, mid-day Wednesday – the shittiest of the workdays as there are equally as many in front of you as behind – and I was stuck in a dimly lit room with burnt-orange carpet sitting right next to a piece of equipment that was generating a whirlwind of fan-noise so loud I couldn’t hear myself think. Over the scream of wasted hot air, (kinda’ like this post, I’d guess ;-), I noticed that the phone was ringing by the blinking of the light on the console. This is the same blinking light that had me wondering for months, in the usual near-silence of my office, why in the funk someone had bothered to put an F’ing blinking light on the front of the damn phone in the first place. Ho HO! </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /><span style="font-size: small;">Well, having solved that mystery, I grabbed the receiver and screamed, “HELLO”, into it. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /><span style="font-size: small;">“Erich?”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /><span style="font-size: small;">“Yah.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /><span style="font-size: small;">“It’s Holly… I’ve got what you want.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /><span style="font-size: small;">&lt;short pause to figure out whom in the hell…. ding-DIng-DING- Oh YEAH!!&gt;</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /><span style="font-size: small;">“Sweet, I can come by tonight or tomorrow to grab it!”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /><span style="font-size: small;">“OK, I’ll put you down for tomorrow.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /><span style="font-size: small;">Serious drug-dealer talk, that. I loved it – ‘Durango-vice’; although this involved killer brew and steel-toe boots, not booger-sugar and penny loafers (Ha! - screw you, Miami).</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /><span style="font-size: small;">But back to my story… </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /><span style="font-size: small;">The roar from the fan in the horrible witch-of-a-machine, (she’s a screamer), next to me faded to a whisper as a choir of angles began to sing, as if from on high. The flicker of the life-sucking neon lights ceased, and the 85 degree heat that I sit in, (right above the heater for the building), receded to a gentle breeze as the happy vision of a 15.5 gallon barrel of Euphoria beer danced like sugar plum fairies before my eyes. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><i><u>Sidenote</u></i> – “Sugar Plum Fairy” – A pint for the person who can comment and give the best explanation of what in the hell or on earth or in heaven this beast is. And I have a crude sense of humor, but this is a public post and we edit your shit, so keep it clever.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /><span style="font-size: small;">And so this evening, I stopped by for my prize. Most of you don’t know this, <i>but I recently traded an automobile for three kegs of Ska Beer*, </i>of which the above mentioned keg of Euphoria is the second. The sheer joy I felt when entering the taproom to the sound of live music, the sight of friendly faces, and the surety of excellent beer was a truly welcome vibe.</span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I have to admit that as I approached the bar, I had an agenda in mind. What was the “Imperial Nut Buster Brown Ale” that I had seen on taps around town, and what else had come up since I had stopped in ten days ago? &nbsp;</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /><span style="font-size: small;">Much to my delight, I was informed by Denise that the “Imperial Nut Buster Brown Ale” was indeed the brew formerly known as “Last Year’s Fruit Cake” and that it was available both on tap and in a cask-conditioned pour. It is a huge deep-brown winter warmer with a lovely rum-like finish from the additions of brown sugar and plums to the base brew.&nbsp;</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: small;">In addition to this, a “flavored” version of the mainline Steel Toe Stout was on tap. Christened, “Ole Mole Stout”, this one had more heat in the finish than the above pictured bowl of green chile had in each bite. &nbsp;</span><br /><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I hate to hit-n-run on a good party, but I had ‘Mr. Puppy’ in the outdoor dog run at home in need of “puppy dinner” and so I paid my tab for the pint and the taster and proceeded to make haste with the loading of the keg. On the way out the door, I was happy to get an offer of help with the barrel from Ska head brewer Thomas Larsen. After using his well-honed professional skills to heft the keg into the backseat of my ride, he mentioned that he would be tapping a second round of the Mint Steel Toe Stout this coming week (Steel-Toe Stout finished in the keg with fresh mint). The last batch from a few weeks ago was very interesting, and the next should be well worth a stop by the taproom before the holidays.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">*The story of the “car-for-ska-beer” swap is an ongoing phenomenon that will be committed to lore at a later date.</span></div>Erichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03116583438913043905noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6054604086947323974.post-81913081888369001672011-12-06T10:00:00.017-07:002011-12-06T10:00:00.790-07:00Tour de Fat - a book about beer n’ bikesPerhaps you also recall when Durango rated high enough on <a href="http://www.newbelgium.com/LegalPurchasingAge.aspx?ReturnUrl=http%3a%2f%2fwww.newbelgium.com%2fhome.aspx">New Belgium</a>’s scale of bike-town worthiness to warrant a stop by the travelling circus of beer and bikes known as the Tour de Fat. This ended several years ago when D-town was given the gentle let-down and told that it was already bike-friendly enough around here.<br /><br />The intrepid cast of characters that comprise the tour were being directed to brave the mean streets of the nation’s cities, carrying with them a bold message of beer, love, and bikes. While it may be the case that Durango is more bike-friendly than some places, (I’ll personally vouch for Durango over the ‘mean streets of Phoenix’), it is hard to miss the fact that the smallest city on the tour in 2011 was Ft. Collins, and that the likes of San Francisco and Chicago are the norm.<br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YufSnXeyWi0/TtgwV3Ehd2I/AAAAAAAAByw/eqOijEy12D4/s1600/TourDeFatBook.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="166" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YufSnXeyWi0/TtgwV3Ehd2I/AAAAAAAAByw/eqOijEy12D4/s400/TourDeFatBook.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />And what the hell, right? I mean, if I had a marketing budget to support nationwide sales, I’d spend it on population centers numbering in the millions over those numbering in the tens of thousands as well. And it is true that bike awareness by local drivers is better than many places.<br /><br />It was with surprise then that I accepted an invitation to receive a copy of a new book published by New Belgium commemorating the 11 years that tour has been, well, touring. My surprise was not at the existence of the book itself, but that they have taken the time and expense of memorializing the burlesque cacophony of bike zaniness that the tour has delivered in its time rambling across the land.<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Vpag1OYCDlU/TtgwWoPSgNI/AAAAAAAABy4/ziP5rcp9x3E/s1600/new_belgium_tour_de_fat_book.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="136" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Vpag1OYCDlU/TtgwWoPSgNI/AAAAAAAABy4/ziP5rcp9x3E/s200/new_belgium_tour_de_fat_book.jpg" width="200" /></a>I guess that I had written off the Tour de Fat as a spasm of youth and assumed that the onset of corporate magnitude would have drawn New Belgium’s focus elsewhere. After thumbing through the book, which is presented in a ‘coffee table’ format, (think the coffee table book hip enough not to freak out your friends), it was apparent that this is not the case. In fact, it appears that the tour and its message remain almost as close to the heart of the organization as the beer itself. Presented like the event it represents, each page is a giggle unto itself.<br /><br />Altogether, the Tour de Fat book is an excellent companion to a fine pint of craft brewed beer in a comfortable old chair. &nbsp;Find it at an independent bookstore, like Maria’s in Durango, near you.<br /><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div>Erichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03116583438913043905noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6054604086947323974.post-20627291762441124332011-12-04T10:00:00.007-07:002011-12-04T10:00:01.530-07:00Getting started homebrewingAfter months of hemming and hawing, a friend and I finally took the plunge and got all of the equipment needed for homebrewing.<br /><br />Many of you have been homebrewing for years. I resisted for a long time, figuring I'd leave it to the professionals. If you can buy perfectly good beer, I figured, why spend more than $100 for brewing equipment that might yield a lesser product?<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><object width="320" height="266" class="BLOG_video_class" id="BLOG_video-9db5bebaf8e50d9" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="movie" value="//www.youtube.com/get_player"><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"><param name="flashvars" value="flvurl=http://redirector.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id%3D09db5bebaf8e50d9%26itag%3D5%26source%3Dblogger%26app%3Dblogger%26cmo%3Dsensitive_content%3Dyes%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1429982066%26sparams%3Dip,ipbits,expire,id,itag,source%26signature%3D10EC0EDF04BF29B8191356F5299841E7AD6C3CB4.4885FFEAC42D838CEB4EA8E032AB07B7FCBF5F57%26key%3Dck2&amp;iurl=http://video.google.com/ThumbnailServer2?app%3Dblogger%26contentid%3D09db5bebaf8e50d9%26offsetms%3D5000%26itag%3Dw160%26sigh%3D7kEuibNPO8mMurBBiunKKk5E1F0&amp;autoplay=0&amp;ps=blogger"><embed src="//www.youtube.com/get_player" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="320" height="266" bgcolor="#FFFFFF" flashvars="flvurl=http://redirector.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id%3D09db5bebaf8e50d9%26itag%3D5%26source%3Dblogger%26app%3Dblogger%26cmo%3Dsensitive_content%3Dyes%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1429982066%26sparams%3Dip,ipbits,expire,id,itag,source%26signature%3D10EC0EDF04BF29B8191356F5299841E7AD6C3CB4.4885FFEAC42D838CEB4EA8E032AB07B7FCBF5F57%26key%3Dck2&iurl=http://video.google.com/ThumbnailServer2?app%3Dblogger%26contentid%3D09db5bebaf8e50d9%26offsetms%3D5000%26itag%3Dw160%26sigh%3D7kEuibNPO8mMurBBiunKKk5E1F0&autoplay=0&ps=blogger" allowFullScreen="true" /></object></div><br />But at some point, it's fun and satisfying to do something for yourself. So we went down to the new <a href="https://www.facebook.com/DurangoBrewSupply?sk=wall&amp;filter=2">Durango Brew Supply</a>, where the fellas helped us choose a five-gallon brewing bucket, a glass carboy, a siphon hose, a hydrometer, a capper and all the other gadgets needed to brew at home.<br /><br />For our maiden voyage, we chose to brew up a simple Brewer's Best red ale kit. It comes with all the needed ingredients: malt, malt extract, hops and yeast, and even a little bit of equipment, like a cloth that functions as a giant tea bag, that turned out to be helpful.<br /><br />19th Hole Red Ale is now finishing secondary fermentation in the carboy. The original gravity was a little low for some reason, so it looks to be heading for an ABV of about 4.2 percent.<br /><br />We're considering going all-grain for our next batch. I'm looking around for a good oatmeal stout recipe, so if anyone has one for a five-gallon batch, or can point me to one, I'd appreciate it.Soggy Coasterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14646016892555782239noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6054604086947323974.post-4527146489962617802011-12-01T10:00:00.000-07:002011-12-01T10:00:08.468-07:00'Tis the Saison<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-C0A0MFG8Bfs/TtZtif9X73I/AAAAAAAAByA/WGp2hU--X8Q/s1600/NewBelgiumLipsofFaithPricklyPassionSaison.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-C0A0MFG8Bfs/TtZtif9X73I/AAAAAAAAByA/WGp2hU--X8Q/s320/NewBelgiumLipsofFaithPricklyPassionSaison.jpeg" width="213" /> </a></div><div class="MsoNormal">Who says that summer brews must be tasted in season? While it is true that darker, heavier elixirs do fit well with the coming of ski season, certain styles of beer exhibit such unique and exotic combinations of flavor components that it is a delight to experience them, regardless the time of year. This is certainly the case with the humble saison, or Belgian/French farmhouse-style ale.<br /><br />Traditionally brewed in a simple fashion for consumption during the warm summer months, saison is characterized by a fruity, citrusy yeast character, accented by modest hop and alcohol flavors. High attenuation by the yeast, (meaning that the yeast has consumed most of the available sugars in the beer and turned them to carbon dioxide and delicious alcohol), tends to leave a comparatively thin body, high carbonation and tart, dry finish.<br /><br />Farmhouse ales were traditionally brewed for consumption on warm afternoons while working the land. This was at a time when slaking one's thirst with a funky-flavored, but bacteria-free, fermented beverage was a lot safer than drinking water from the nearby canal or irrigation ditch.&nbsp;</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Recently, I was fortunate enough to attend a local beer tasting hosted by the<a href="http://www.mesaverdemashers.org/" target="_blank"> Mesa Verde Mashers</a> homebrew club in Cortez. One of the members had visited the West Coast, and brought back an ‘A’ list of domestic and imported saison-style beer for our consideration. I had also recently received a bottle of New Belgium Brewing Co.'s latest release in their “Lips of Faith” series, <a href="http://www.newbelgium.com/beer.aspx" target="_blank"><i>Prickly Passion Saison</i></a>, which billed itself as a saison-style farmhouse ale brewed with juice from prickly pear and passion fruit. Intrigued, I brought it along to be opened at the event.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />The bottle lineup looked like this: <br /><br /><a href="http://www.blogger.com/%29%20http://www.manzanitabrewing.com/node/71">Manzanita Lazy Saison (San Diego)</a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.glazentoren.be/">De GlazenToren (Belgium)</a><br /><a href="http://deranke.be/en/index_en.htm">DeDottignies (Belgium)</a><br /><a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_1523850406">Fantome </a><a href="http://www.fantome.be/">(Belgium)</a><br /><a href="http://www.sandiegobeerblog.com/2011/04/08/farmhouse-friday-jolly-pumpkin-baudelaire-beer-io-saison/">Baudelaire (link to a review by the San Diego Beer Blog) </a><br /><a href="http://www.prettythingsbeertoday.com/wp/our-beers/baby-tree/">PrettyThings Baby Tree (USA)</a><br /><a href="http://www.ovila.com/#/home">Ovila(Sierra Nevada) </a><br /><a href="http://www.brasserie-dupont.com/Dupont/en/6967-saison-dupont.html">DuPont (Belgium)</a><br /><a href="http://www.sbs-imports.com/deproef.php">De Prouef (Belgium)</a><br /><a href="http://www.ommegang.com/?mcat=1&amp;scat=3">OmmegangHennepin (USA)</a><br /><a href="http://www.st-feuillien.com/">St.Feuillien (Belgium)</a><br /><a href="http://www.lostabbey.com/">Lost AbbeyBrother Levonian (USA)</a><br /><a href="http://www.newbelgium.com/beer/detail.aspx?id=d70e8a4c-c2d9-412e-928b-eaf265cad819">New Belgium Prickly Passion Saison (USA)</a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal">The review of these could consume pages. Instead of this, I would suggest consuming the imported De Prouef and St. Feuillien. These seemed to best find the elusive balance between sweet, sour, and astringent components of the overall flavor. Many of the domestic products were very good as well, with Lost Abbey and Ommegang being stand outs. If any of the <a href="http://www.durangobrewing.com/" target="_blank">Durango Brewing Co.'s</a> <a href="http://beerat6512.blogspot.com/2010/04/review-durango-brewing-co-20th.html" target="_blank"><i>20th Anniversary Saison</i> </a>bottles survive, they would be worth picking up as well.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">And for the Prickly Passion Saison? As with most of New Belgium’s brews, this one is very clean in body and appearance. Many of the earlier bottles that were tasted contained a lot of yeast in suspension, making for a cloudy liquid in the glass. This one was translucent, with a very refined malt body forming a base for the yeast and fruit juices.<br /><br />Perhaps it was the strong flavors that came before it, but the prickly pear was almost absent, and the passion fruit was very delicate, almost more of an aroma than a flavoring. As a stand-alone drink, I think that the Prickly Pear Saison would be quite enjoyable, and is a fine place to start if exploring the world of saison.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">A big <b>THANK YOU</b> to Dion and the Mesa Vera Mashers for hosting this excellent event! </div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div>Erichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03116583438913043905noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6054604086947323974.post-41218328451103601122011-11-30T10:00:00.000-07:002011-11-30T10:00:04.800-07:00Beer at 6512 is backAfter a hiatus of more than two months, Beer at 6512 is back. A friend persuaded me that this little blog has a loyal readership and some value it can offer to local beer lovers.<br /><br />This time I won't be doing it alone. The aforementioned friend, Erich Hennig, will help me keep the site updated. Erich is a Durango homebrewer who has experience brewing beer, mead and cider, and has a fine sense of what makes a good craft beer. Not incidentally, he's also a damn good writer who you may know from his beer columns in <i>Mountain Gazette</i> and <i>Rocky Mountain Brewing News</i>.<br /><br />Together we plan to provide regular updates that tell you more than you probably want to know about craft brewing in Durango and the wider world.<br /><br />We're also looking for other contributors. You can't be any geek off the street, as Warren G once said. But if you know a good beer from a bad one and how to compose a decent sentence in English, please email me at soggycoaster(at)gmail(dot)com.<br /><br />And for the rest of you, stop by when you can and read up on what's happening with craft brewing at 6,512 feet elevation. Durango is a special place, with some special beer. Let's get to it.Soggy Coasterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14646016892555782239noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6054604086947323974.post-819312032478950132011-09-27T19:29:00.000-06:002011-09-27T19:29:00.548-06:00Beer at 6512 on holdAs you may have noticed, posting here has slowed considerably this summer. It's time for me to recognize that I'm no longer posting regularly, and to acknowledge that this blog on indefinite hiatus.<br /><br />There are several reasons, but primarily I just don't have the time to keep the blog as updated as it should be. For two years, I've written this blog as a personal project outside of my full-time job. There's a lot going on in craft beer locally, and I'm not keeping up with it. I feel if I'm not going to do it right, I'd rather not blog at all.<br /><br />In all honesty, the last thing I want to do when I come home from work is spend more time in front of a keyboard and a glowing screen.<br /><br />Perhaps I'll get back to it at some point. Perhaps not. Perhaps I'll find other outlets for writing about craft beer, or participating in the industry more directly.<br /><br />I'm enormously appreciative of my readers, and the craft brewers I've come to know. I feel like I've been through graduate school in beer appreciation and the business of craft brewing.<br /><br />Breweries are some of the most exciting businesses in America today, and, as others have noted, what's happening in craft beer is as interesting as anything in the worlds of food and drink.<br /><br />Keep drinking good beer and supporting good brewers. I'll do the same.Soggy Coasterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14646016892555782239noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6054604086947323974.post-40296443188742108922011-09-05T11:33:00.000-06:002011-09-05T11:33:23.639-06:00Ska's 16th birthday bash highlights Durango Beer Week<a href="http://skabrewing.com/">Ska Brewing Co</a>. will host a big bash Sept. 24 to celebrate its 16th anniversary. Twenty of the region's best breweries will be pouring, and the New York City ska band <a href="http://www.toasters.org/">The Toasters</a> will headline the entertainment.<br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Xa0Id8KD8KM/TmUGj1E_vjI/AAAAAAAAAes/c9DedOW6jVg/s1600/Bootleggers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="135" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Xa0Id8KD8KM/TmUGj1E_vjI/AAAAAAAAAes/c9DedOW6jVg/s200/Bootleggers.jpg" width="200" /></a><br />The party will mark the Durango debut of Shebeen Black IPA, brewed in honor of The Toasters. Shebeen has otherwise been available at a handful of Toasters concerts. The Clash cover band the Nuns of Brixton and the Blue Hornets will open the concert.<br /><br />The breweries scheduled to join Ska's birthday bash include Avery, Breckenridge, Bristol, Carver's, Durango, Left Hand, Lumberyard, Marble, New Belgium, Oskar Blues, Ouray, Pagosa Brewing, Santa Fe, Santan, Steamworks, Stone, Three Rivers and Tommyknocker.<br /><br />I'd highly recommend you stop by Marble's tent. This Albuquerque-based brewery distributes only in New Mexico, so this is a rare chance to get their beer in Durango, and they're doing some <a href="http://beerat6512.blogspot.com/2011/03/another-round-at-marble.html">fantastic brewing</a>. Last year, Marble brought a version of From the Wood, a sublime barrel-aged ale that earned national attention from Draft magazine.<br /><br />Ska expects the 16th anniversary party to sell out. Last year's <a href="http://beerat6512.blogspot.com/2010/08/ska-celebrates-15-years.html">15th anniversary party</a> was probably the best event I've experienced in my six years in Durango. The Supersuckers hosted a rock show of the quality you just don't see in Durango, and a lot of the beers were fantastic.The event runs 4-9 p.m. Sept. 24 at Ska, 225 Girard St. Tickets are $25 and available online or at brownpapertickets.com, or by calling 1-800-838-3006.<br /><br />Ska's birthday party is just the biggest event during Durango Beer Week. The week kicks off with <b>Steamworks’</b> <b>15th Anniversary Beer Dinner</b>, to be held 7 p.m. Sept. 16 on the brewpub’s back deck.<br /><br />Chef Sean Clark will offer a five-course meal matched to the Steamworks beers from brewer Ken Martin. The events costs $40 per person, and reservations are available by calling (970) 259-9200.<br /><br />“Chef Sean has taken a leading role nationally in pairing fine foods and craft beers,” said Kris Oyler, Steamworks co-founder. “The menu, which includes Cuban pork, Yorkshire pudding and braised plantain, and smoked elk tenderloin with Palisade cherry gastrique, is fantastic. Of course, so are the Steamworks’ award-winning beers paired with each course.”<br /><br />Durango’s official annual <b>Oktoberfest</b> is set for 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 17. on Main Avenue between 9th and 10th streets. Proceeds from the event will benefit the Women’s Resource Center.<br /><br />“The event will include all the traditional Oktoberfest activities such as a stein-hoisting competition and a bratwurst-eating contest,” said Erik Maxson, Carver Brewing Co. head brewer. “Plus, the Bootleggers will collaboratively brew an authentic Oktoberfest beer to be tapped at the event.”<br /><br />Food vendors, children’s activities and live music throughout the day from the Alpiners, Midnight Backhand and Moreland &amp; Arbuckle are also planned. Durango Herald Arts &amp; Entertainment Editor (and beer aficionado) Ted Holteen will serve as master of ceremonies.<br /><br />Durango Beer Week continues with a variety of activities, including a beer brunch at Carver’s, a bike tour of the breweries, and a Brewathalon at Durango Brewing. <br /><br />For more information on Durango Beer Week, visit <a href="http://www.realbeer.com/">www.realbeer.com</a>. Here's the schedule:<br /><br />* Friday, Sept. 16 Steamworks’ 15th Anniversary Beer Dinner, 7 p.m.<br />* Saturday, Sept. 17 Oktoberfest, 11 a.m. – 4 p.m., Main Ave.<br />* Sunday, Sept. 18 El Rancho Foosball Tournament, cash prizes, noon<br />* Monday, Sept. 19 Beer Brunch at Carver Brewing Co., 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.<br />* Tuesday, Sept. 20 Lady Falconburgh’s Beer Bingo, 9 p.m.<br />* Wednesday, Sept. 21 Durango Brewing Company Brewathalon, 5 p.m. Test your skills at Shuffleboard and Ring Toss.<br />* Thursday, Sept. 22 DATO/Ska-b-que, at Ska Brewing, 5 p.m.<br />* Bootlegger Pint Night at Steamworks - $1 pints for anyone with a pint glass from any of the four Bootlegger breweries. Proceeds benefit the Colorado Brewers Guild.<br />*Friday, Sept. 23 Bike Tour of breweries, 5:30 p.m. start at Durango Brewing, finish at The Balcony.<br />* Book signing at Steamworks, 6-8 p.m.: "Mountain Brew: A guide to Colorado’s Breweries" by Ed Sealover.<br />* Saturday, Sept 24 Ska Brewing Co.’s 16th Anniversary featuring The Toasters and 20 regional breweries, 4-9 p.m.Soggy Coasterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14646016892555782239noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6054604086947323974.post-53606069582692897302011-08-31T10:00:00.001-06:002011-08-31T10:00:06.685-06:00A day in the life<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-q_c1mefCKLk/Tl5F0Uc449I/AAAAAAAAAeo/_kP2SfmbKPQ/s1600/P1010681.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-q_c1mefCKLk/Tl5F0Uc449I/AAAAAAAAAeo/_kP2SfmbKPQ/s400/P1010681.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by Andrew Carter</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />A sampler enjoyed last weekend at <a href="http://www.coloradoboy.com/Home_Page.html">Colorado Boy Pub and Brewery</a> in Ridgway. From left, an amber, Irish red, porter and IPA.<br /><br />The Irish red and IPA were particularly tasty (both <a href="http://www.greatamericanbeerfestival.com/the-competition/winners/past-winners/">won medals</a> at the 2009 Great American Beer Festival, I now see), and the atmosphere at the 1915 pub was excellent.<br /><br />Unfortunately, shortly after this photo was taken, some local drunk hit my brother-in-law's rental car parked outside. Fortunately, there were several witnesses, and the local marshal appeared to be on the case. Insurance can be a wonderful thing.Soggy Coasterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14646016892555782239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6054604086947323974.post-71064081243437677492011-08-26T13:26:00.001-06:002011-08-26T13:26:47.899-06:00San Juan Brewfest is SaturdayThe 13th annual <a href="http://www.cookmanfood.com/brewfest">San Juan Brewfest</a> takes place Saturday in downtown Durango. Some 25 breweries are expected to attend the annual celebration of craft beer.<br /><br />Tickets are $25. Attendees will receive a five-ounce sampler glass.<br /><br />Most of the breweries come from Colorado, although a few are from farther-flung locales. Each year, the festival doles out awards for best beers. <br /><br />I'm most interested in some of the small brewpubs that don't distribute, including the the two Ouray breweries, Colorado Boy and Moab. It's also worth noting that brewing giant MolsonCoors shows up to promote Blue Moon and Colorado Native, two attempts at reaching the craft beer market.<br /><br />The event benefits United Way of Southwest Colorado. This is one of the most significant craft beer events in Durango each year, and I always have a good time.<br /><br />Here's the full list of breweries attending:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.alaskanbeer.com/" target="_self">Alaskan Brewing Company</a>&nbsp;(Juneau, AK)<br /><a href="http://www.bigskybrew.com/" target="_self">Big Sky Brewing Company</a>&nbsp;(Missoula, Mont.)<br /><a href="http://www.bluemoonbrewingcompany.com/" target="_self">Blue Moon Brewing Company</a>(Golden)<br /><a href="http://www.breckbrew.com/" target="_self">Breckenridge Brewery</a>&nbsp;(Breckenridge)<br /><a href="http://www.carverbrewing.com/" target="_self">Carver Brewing Company</a>&nbsp;(Durango)<br /><a href="http://www.coloradoboy.com/" target="_self">Colorado Boy Pub and Brewery</a>&nbsp;(Ridgway)<br /><a href="http://www.coloradonativelager.com/" target="_self">Colorado Native</a> (Golden)<br /><a href="http://www.durangobrewing.com/" target="_self">Durango Brewing Company</a><br /><a href="http://www.eskesbrewpub.com/index.php" target="_self">Eskes Brew Pub and Eatery</a>&nbsp;(Taos, NM)<br /><a href="http://www.glenwoodcanyon.com/" target="_self">Glenwood Canyon Brewing Company</a>&nbsp;(Glenwood Springs)<br /><a href="http://www.leinie.com/" target="_self">Jacob Leinenkugal Brewing Company</a>&nbsp;( Chippewa Falls, Wisc.)<br /><a href="http://www.lefthandbrewing.com/" target="_self">Left Hand Brewing Company</a>&nbsp;(Longmont)<br /><a href="http://www.themoabbrewery.com/" target="_self">Moab Brewing</a> (Moab, Utah)<br /><a href="http://www.newbelgium.com/" target="_self">New Belgium Brewing</a>&nbsp;(Fort Collins)<br /><a href="http://www.oakcreekbrew.com/" target="_self">Oak Creek Brewing Company</a>&nbsp;(Sedona, Ariz.)<br /><a href="http://www.oskarblues.com/">Oskar Blues Brewing</a> (Longmont)<br /><a href="http://www.ouraybrewery.com/" target="_self">Ouray Brewery</a><br /><a href="http://www.ouraylehouse.com/" target="_self">Ourayle House Brewery</a>&nbsp;(Ouray, CO)<br /><a href="http://www.pagosabrewing.com/" target="_self">Pagosa Brewing Company</a>&nbsp;(Pagosa Springs)<br /><a href="http://www.palisadebrewingcompany.com/" target="_self">Palisade Brewing Company</a><br /><a href="http://www.rockslidebrewpub.com/" target="_self">Rockslide Brewery</a>&nbsp;(Grand Junction)<br /><a href="http://www.samueladams.com/" target="_self">Samuel Adams</a>&nbsp;(Boston)<br /><a href="http://www.slvbrewco.com/" target="_self">San Luis Valley Brewing Company</a>&nbsp;(Alamosa)<br /><a href="http://www.skabrewing.com/" target="_self">Ska Brewing Co.</a> (Durango)<br /><a href="http://www.steamworksbrewing.com/" target="_self">Steamworks Brewing Co. </a>(Durango)Soggy Coasterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14646016892555782239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6054604086947323974.post-58923059688648521792011-08-23T10:00:00.005-06:002011-08-23T10:00:08.608-06:00Ska Brewing to release Belgian dubbel<a href="http://skabrewing.com/">Ska Brewing Co</a>. on Wednesday will release the latest beer in its Local Series, Sethvleteren 8.<br /><br />The beer comes courtesy of Seth Townsend, who won this year's Ska homebrewing competition and will have his beer entered in the <a href="http://www.homebrewersassociation.org/pages/competitions/great-american-beer-festival-pro-am">Great American Beer Festival Pro-Am Competition</a> in late September in Denver.<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JyNmAFKv_WE/TlNPBEnp-1I/AAAAAAAAAek/DrmPJUbGi7M/s1600/Skalogo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JyNmAFKv_WE/TlNPBEnp-1I/AAAAAAAAAek/DrmPJUbGi7M/s1600/Skalogo.jpg" /></a>Sethvleteren 8 is an organic, Belgian-style dubbel. It should be strong and yeasty.<br /><br />It might not be dubbel weather yet, but I'll buy a couple of bottles for when temperatures cool off.<br /><br />(For now, I'm enjoying my dwindling supplies of <a href="http://beerat6512.blogspot.com/2011/04/review-ska-brewing-mexican-logger.html">Mexican Logger</a>. For what it's worth, everyone around town is running out of the summer seasonal. Get some before it's gone if you wish).<br /><br />Last year's winner of Ska's homebrewing competition was really nice. <a href="http://beerat6512.blogspot.com/2010/08/review-clancys-black-beer-ska-brewing.html">Clancy's Black Beer</a> was a German-style Schwarzbier with a malty and chocolatey taste.<br /><br />The great thing about this one is it's been pre-screened for deliciousness. As with all the beers in Ska's <a href="http://beerat6512.blogspot.com/2010/09/look-back-at-skas-local-series.html">Local Series</a>, Sethvleteren 8 will be available in 22-ounce bottles in and around Durango.<br /><br />About that name: presumably, it's a play on <a href="http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/313/857">Westvleteren 8</a>, a rare Belgian beer that is something of a Holy Grail for beer geeks. A lot of knowledgeable people say it's one of the best beers in the world. Not that Ska is setting Seth up for any pressure or anything.<br /><br />Anyway, stop by Ska on Wednesday evening to meet Seth and get a taste of this organic, Belgian-style dubbel.Soggy Coasterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14646016892555782239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6054604086947323974.post-77542299676144227912011-07-26T10:00:00.004-06:002011-07-26T10:00:04.622-06:00A visit to Funkwerks<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ym3rE4bJOpc/Ti4wA-H0ULI/AAAAAAAAAeg/Ii_E6u8wyuk/s1600/Funkwerks.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ym3rE4bJOpc/Ti4wA-H0ULI/AAAAAAAAAeg/Ii_E6u8wyuk/s320/Funkwerks.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>After six years in Durango and multiple trips to the Denver-Boulder area, I finally made it to Fort Collins recently to check out some of city's craft brewers.<br /><br />A lot of craft-beer fans would have made a beeline to <a href="http://www.newbelgium.com/home.aspx">New Belgium Brewing</a>, the <a href="http://www.brewersassociation.org/pages/media/press-releases/show?title=brewers-association-releases-2010-top-50-breweries-lists">third-largest</a> craft brewer in the nation by production volume, trailing only Boston Beer Co. (maker of Sam Adams) and Sierra Nevada Brewing.<br /><br />Instead, we steered to a craft brewer that's relatively new, small and interesting. <a href="http://funkwerks.com/content/company/">Funkwerks</a> was founded in 2009 by an accomplished homebrewer, Gordon Schuck, and an accountant, Brad Lincoln.<br /><br />(It's interesting how many craft brewing partnerships involve one dude who really knows beer paired with another dude who can keep a business running).<br /><br />Schuck is a Belgian beer geek who won a gold medal at the 2007 National Home Brew Competition for his saison. His brewery reflects that — every beer on tap is Belgian-inspired.<br /><br />A lot of breweries take a crack at a saison, but only a few make these beers the center of their breweries (<a href="http://www.thebruery.com/">The Bruery</a> in southern California and <a href="http://www.uprightbrewing.com/">Upright Brewing</a> in Portland, Oregon come to mind). The rise of these sorts of breweries that focus on one style is a major trend in craft brewing the past five years or so.<br /><br />Funkwerks occupies a space abandoned by <a href="http://www.fortcollinsbrewery.com/">Fort Collins Brewery</a>. It's a nice spot, with a good patio and a shady tree, a just-right modern-feeling tasting room and plenty of space in the back to do the dirty work. The brewing goes down on a 15-barrel system. <br /><br />I had the $8 sampler, which I'd recommend. It will get you the <a href="http://www.funkwerks.com/content/Taproom/">whole range</a> of their beers (seven on tap during my visit), poured into Belgian globe glasses. It's a substantial portion of beer, and you'll want to be prepared for it.<br /><br />Funkwerks' flagship beers are its saison and white, both bottled in 750 ml wine-style bottles. These are understated beers. Neither is the best of its kind I've ever had. Rather, they're just nice Belgian-style ales that go down easy, with inoffensive flavorful profiles.<br /><br />Their best beers were their lightest and their heaviest. Their light one, appropriately named Casper, is 5 percent ABV and light as a ghost. It was wonderfully refreshing for a hot summer day.<br /><br />The heavy entry was Maori King, an 8 percent ABV imperial saison with a depth of flavor not found in the standard saison (6.8 percent ABV). Interestingly, it uses Rakau hops, a New Zealand variety of which I was heretofore unacquainted. Promising, this one.<br /><br />Fortunately, Maori King is Funkwerks' next bottled beer, joining the white and saison due to popular demand (at last tweet, Funkwerks had bottled Maori King and was waiting for labels to arrive, which shouldn't take long). Their bottled beers are available in the Denver area. My guess is it'll be awhile before we see them down in our corner.<br /><br />Funkwerks isn't quite yet at the level of Upright or The Bruery, for example. But I love where they're going. Fine Belgian-style beers are a joy, and the Denver area was due for a niche Belgian brewery like Funkwerks. I thoroughly enjoyed my visit.<br /><br />It'll be fun to see what Funkwerks does next.Soggy Coasterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14646016892555782239noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6054604086947323974.post-11499825726393704232011-07-22T10:00:00.001-06:002011-07-22T10:00:09.657-06:00Wheelsucker Wheat release Saturday<table cellpadding="0" class="Bs nH iY"><tbody><tr><td class="Bu"><div class="nH if"><div class="nH"><div class="nH hx"><div class="nH"><div class="h7 ie nH oy8Mbf"><div class="Bk"><div class="G3 G2"><div><div id=":5t"><div class="HprMsc"><div class="gs"><div class="ii gt" id=":12r"><div id=":16f"><div lang="EN-US"><div><div class="MsoNormal">On Saturday, Wheelsucker Wheat Ale will be released at <a href="http://skabrewing.com/">Ska Brewing Co</a>. as the brewer-bicyclists arrive from their five-day, 470-mile tour of Colorado.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_Xqu1VHPfOE/TijSuINyV_I/AAAAAAAAAec/k48Uey7T8No/s1600/100_0611.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_Xqu1VHPfOE/TijSuINyV_I/AAAAAAAAAec/k48Uey7T8No/s200/100_0611.JPG" width="150" /></a></div>This is the third year of the bicycle tour first organized by Ska and <a href="http://averybrewing.com/">Avery Brewing Co</a>. in Boulder. The ride continues to grow, with participation this year by cyclists from <a href="http://www.oskarblues.com/">Oskar Blues Brewery</a> in Lyons and <a href="http://www.sierranevada.com/">Sierra Nevada Brewing</a> of Chico, California.</div><div class="MsoNormal">"Craft beer isn't about getting rich and cutthroat business practices; it's about following your passions and doing what you love, it's about being part of your local community and working with people who are just as psyched to be in the business as you are," Adam Avery, president and co-founder of Avery Brewing, said in a news release.</div><div class="MsoNormal">Each evening along the tour, the brewers are teaming up with other craft breweries along the course to hold fundraising parties, with profits from pint sales, raffles and auctions going to local charities.</div><div class="MsoNormal">Participating breweries along the route include Tommyknocker Brewing, Breckenridge Brewery, Eddyline Brewpub, The Brick Oven Restaurant, Ouray Brewing and Colorado Boy Brewery.</div><div class="MsoNormal">"We’ve had quite a few brewers from around the country express interest in this," said Dave Thibodeau, Ska's president and co-founder. "I think it has the potential to become huge, whether it remains a brewer’s tour and another fun way to hang out with fellow brewers while trying to make a positive difference in our communities, or one day possibly opens to the public.”&nbsp;&nbsp; </div><div class="MsoNormal">Last year Oskar Blues joined Avery and Ska on the tour. Steve Grossman and others from Sierra Nevada Brewing are also joining their Colorado brewing brethren, the first time a non-Colorado brewer has joined the ride. </div><div class="MsoNormal">The tapping party begins at 2 p.m., Saturday, July 21. Proceeds will go to the La Plata County Safe Roads Coalition</div><div class="MsoNormal">Wheelsucker Wheat Ale is a strong, flavorful wheat ale brewed by Ska and Avery. It won Beer at 6512's inaugural Beer of the Year award in 2009. Check out <a href="http://beerat6512.blogspot.com/2009/12/beer-of-year-2009.html">that post</a> for details on the beer. </div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></td><td class="Bu"></td><td class="Bu"></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="nH"><div class=" iE D E"><div class="iH"></div></div></div>Soggy Coasterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14646016892555782239noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6054604086947323974.post-1650792683279434452011-07-21T19:00:00.016-06:002011-07-21T19:00:01.017-06:00Ska Brewing loses in L.A.The crack beer journalists at Beer at 6512 (ahem) rarely post a full press release. But as press releases go, this one from <a href="http://skabrewing.com/">Ska Brewing Co</a>. is a gem, and heavy editing would only kill the humor. We have here perhaps the definitive beer competition humblebrag. Take a look:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Q6qAxvMknPI/TijKNQ9jfpI/AAAAAAAAAeU/BWwgBZjcTjI/s1600/Skalogo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="142" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Q6qAxvMknPI/TijKNQ9jfpI/AAAAAAAAAeU/BWwgBZjcTjI/s200/Skalogo.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Judging has been completed in the 2011 <a href="http://www.google.com/search?q=Los+Angeles+International+Commercial+Beer+Competition&amp;ie=utf-8&amp;oe=utf-8&amp;aq=t&amp;rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&amp;client=firefox-a">Los Angeles International Commercial Beer Competition</a>, and Ska Brewing didn’t win a single medal, or even an honorable mention. Despite winning gold and silver medals in the 2010 competition, Ska came up empty-handed this year. <br /><br />“Our friends at Odell Brewing and Lagunitas Brewing won medals,” said Dave Thibodeau, Ska Brewing President and Co-Founder. “Last year we won two medals in L.A… Samuel Adams Light won a medal. How am I supposed to tell our shareholder about this?”<br /><br />Despite recently winning two medals at the Australian International Beer Awards—a silver for Modus Hoperandi, and a bronze for ESB, out of 1195 total entries—Thibodeau remained strangely focused on the loss. The medals in Australia weren’t the only recent wins, either, with Ska winning a silver medal at the Denver International Beer Competition for Buster Nut Brown Ale, and a two medals at the North American Beer Awards—a gold for Pinstripe and a bronze for Steel Toe Stout. <br /><br />“We’ve actually been winning a lot of medals this season, but this loss at L.A. is all I can think about,” said Bill Graham, Ska Co-Founder and Overlord of Brewing Operations. “I know [Ballast Point Brewing’s] Sculpin IPA is a nearly perfect IPA, but I thought Modus would bring home some hardware. Nebraska Brewing didn’t even name their IPA. I don’t know where the justice is in this crazy mixed-up world.”<br /><br />According to well-placed sources, Ska has actually won as many competition medals this season as they ever have, including a previously unmentioned bronze for Modus Hoperandi IPA and a silver for ESB at the AmeriCAN Craft Beer Festival.<br /><br />That fact notwithstanding, Thibodeau insisted on putting out a press release about Ska’s “loss” in L.A.<br />According to a Ska PR manager who requested anonymity in order to speak candidly, Thibodeau didn’t even want to make the release funny, or poke fun at beer competitions in general. “Press releases are supposed to show your company in the best possible light,” said the source. “No one here listens to me. We’ve been winning things left and right, and all these guys can think about is not winning at one event. I don’t know if I can keep doing this.”Soggy Coasterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14646016892555782239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6054604086947323974.post-28212472146715410172011-07-12T11:00:00.000-06:002011-07-11T21:08:13.883-06:00Top 5 Colorado summer beers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-J7hk4NDsRUU/ThqO-T3BZcI/AAAAAAAAAeQ/AMUqakG4nJ4/s1600/top5beers.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-J7hk4NDsRUU/ThqO-T3BZcI/AAAAAAAAAeQ/AMUqakG4nJ4/s320/top5beers.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>A great summer beer must be light. It must be refreshing. It must also be flavorful and interesting. In Colorado, where the winters are long and cold and the summers are sunny and beautiful, craft breweries have the summer beer dialed in. The five beers pictured above and praised below represent the best Colorado summer beers.<br /><br />All five represent different styles and separate breweries. Three are ales, two are lagers. Two are from Durango; three are from the Front Range. Two are Belgian-inspired, two are German-inspired and one is Mexican-inspired. Two are strictly summer seasonals, while the other three are light beers brewed year-round.<br /><br />This isn't a definitive ranking. But it gives you an idea of the quality and breadth of summer beers in Colorado.<br /><br />1. <b><a href="http://www.greatdivide.com/">Great Divide</a> Colette</b><br />7.3 percent ABV<br /><br />It was a pleasant surprise when Great Divide Brewing of Denver started bottling a first-rate saison in six-packs. Before Colette, it was impossible to find a saison locally that wasn't sold in expensive bomber bottles.<br /><br />The price would be irrelevant if the beer weren't great. Fortunately, Colette, a summer seasonal, is among the best saisons anywhere. This tasty Belgian-inspired farmhouse ale took home a silver medal at the 2010 <a href="http://www.greatamericanbeerfestival.com/">Great American Beer Festival</a>.<br /><br />Saisons are wonderful, yeasty beers that manage to be light and refreshing and extraordinarily flavorful. Colette is as good as it gets. (Full review <a href="http://beerat6512.blogspot.com/2011/04/review-great-divide-colette.html">here</a>).<br /><br />2. <b><a href="http://skabrewing.com/">Ska</a> Mexican Logger</b><br />4.2 percent ABV, 18 IBUs <br /><br />It's difficult to make low-alcohol beers like Ska's Mexican Logger carry much flavor, because alcohol acts as a sort of wave on which flavor can ride.<br /><br />While Mexican Logger is light in alcohol, this little beer punches far above its weight. The deliciousness that is Ska's Mexican Logger defies explanation. Just drink it. (Full review <a href="http://beerat6512.blogspot.com/2011/04/review-ska-brewing-mexican-logger.html">here</a>).<br /><br />3. <b><a href="http://www.lefthandbrewing.com/beers/polestar-pilsner">Left Hand Polestar Pilsner</a></b><br />5.5 percent ABV, 33 IBUs <br /><br />The folks in Longmont got something right when they brewed their Polestar Pilsner. This lager has a perfect amount of hopping that doesn't get in the way of the funky yeast flavors. Delicous. Refreshing. Not to be missed.<br /><br />4. <b><a href="http://www.steamworksbrewing.com/main/do/Colorado_Kolsch">Steamworks Colorado Kolsch</a></b><br />4.8 percent ABV, 17 IBUs<br /><br />Not long ago, I found myself sharing an affordable $8 pitcher of Colorado Kolsch at Steamworks' bar in Durango. It was a hot day, and this ale was everything I needed at that moment in time. This kolsch is another beer that manages to be very flavorful while relatively low in alcohol.<br /><br />It's also one of Steamworks' signature beers, and one of the cooler cans (or bottles) around, featuring the Colorado flag.<br /><br />5. <b><a href="http://averybrewing.com/our-ales/51">Avery White Rascal</a></b><br />5.6 percent ABV, 10 IBUs<br /><br />A fantastic Belgian-style witbier from the consistently excellent Avery brewery in Boulder. These sorts of Belgian-style wheats are tough to pair with food, but they're great on their own and with some foods.<br /><br />There's a nice hint of citrus along with ample Belgian yeastiness. This Rascal is worth confining in your refrigerator, until you can let it runneth over the top of your glass.<br /><br /><i>Please feel free to argue in the comments below. I tasted all five of these with my wife and a friend. My wife would have ranked White Rascal and Polestar Pilsner up top. My friend would have ranked the pilsener lower. Others would have included local favorites Durango Wheat and Carver's Raspberry Wheat. What do you think?</i>Soggy Coasterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14646016892555782239noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6054604086947323974.post-52341155192913453752011-07-06T10:00:00.001-06:002011-07-06T10:00:11.720-06:00Steamworks servers get beer educated<a href="http://www.steamworksbrewing.com/">Steamworks Brewing Co</a>. servers have been undergoing a mass education in beer and food pairings, styles and brewing knowledge.<br /><br />Forty-five of the brewpub's servers have gone through the <a href="http://www.cicerone.org/">Cicerone</a> certification program to become what the organization calls "certified beer servers."<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-l-YV8vCWO7w/ThPcaN_d2YI/AAAAAAAAAeM/UulHVh9yRG4/s1600/steamworks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-l-YV8vCWO7w/ThPcaN_d2YI/AAAAAAAAAeM/UulHVh9yRG4/s200/steamworks.jpg" width="143" /></a>In essence, Steamworks aims to have 45 beer sommeliers able to guide customers in their choices.<br /><br />“Anyone can call themselves a beer expert,” Steamworks co-founder Kris Oyler said in a news release. “But when consumers want just the right beer, they usually need assistance from a server who really knows beer flavors, styles and brands. A Cicerone can assist.”<br /><br />Oyler is leading by example, earning his beer server certification. He continues to study for the Certified Cicerone exam.<br /><br />This is something new and interesting. It once again shows the beer world following in the footsteps of wine, where sommeliers are trained to pair various red and white wines with certain foods. There's a danger in taking things too seriously, but it can't hurt to have servers who know what they're serving.<br /><br />The program probably only makes sense for restaurants that take craft beer seriously. Production-focused breweries wouldn't have much use for beer sommeliers.<br /><br />Steamworks' "certified beer servers" have shown proficiency in beer storage, sales and service; beer styles and culture; beer tasting and flavors; brewing ingredients and processes; and pairing beer with food. To earn the Certified Cicerone and Master Cicerone designations, beer servers must demonstrate more comprehensive knowledge in all the aforementioned areas.<br /><br />“Many consumers don’t know the difference between a pale ale and a lager, or a stout and a porter, let alone what flavors are found in a hefeweizen or Kölsch,” Oyler said. “Education is an important part of the Steamworks culture, so the Cicerone certification program has provided us with a structure to help ensure our servers have top-notch skills, which they can then share with our patrons. We want all expectations to be met when people drink a Steamworks beer.”<br /><br />In addition to Oyler, Steamworks staff members earning the certified beer server designation are: Aaron Albosta, Jesse Armer, Ken Baker, Mike Brace, Jen Burgstahler, Stevonna Chavez, Nicole Clark, Sean Clark, Ben Colia, Stephanie Dieter, Theo Dillingham, Cassie Farr, Lea Gibbens, Landon Griffin, Jason Haley, Joel Hayes, Brandon Herrera, Chip Hosfeld, Marc Howard, Stevi Jaworsky, Steve Kammerer, Wilson Lawrence, Josh Lengner, Ken Martin, Katie Matney, Brian McEachron, Shirley Melton, Sean Moriarty, Sena Nissen, Sabrina Olsen, Derek Raimo, Rick Rivera, Spencer Roper, Mitra Sabeti, Jorge Sanchez, Keara Sandy, Devin Schuck, Brian Skyles, Erin Skyles, Lauren Turner, Shelton Urquidez, Alice White, Dave Woodruff and JD Zent.Soggy Coasterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14646016892555782239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6054604086947323974.post-13002080466901180242011-07-04T11:00:00.004-06:002011-07-04T11:00:04.048-06:00Happy Independence Day<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-egPj4c5rYtQ/ThEBgmy14FI/AAAAAAAAAeI/dFLp7E-Qk2I/s1600/Ouray.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-egPj4c5rYtQ/ThEBgmy14FI/AAAAAAAAAeI/dFLp7E-Qk2I/s400/Ouray.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A San Juan IPA and Old Glory on the rooftop of Ouray Brewery, July 1.</td></tr></tbody></table>Soggy Coasterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14646016892555782239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6054604086947323974.post-22222990981777502882011-07-02T10:34:00.001-06:002011-07-02T10:34:08.579-06:00Comparing Colorado pilsenersThanks to W.J. Doyle Wine &amp; Spirits, a new Durango liquor store that lets customers mix six-packs, I recently had the chance to compare two tasty Colorado pilseners side by side.<br /><br />Pilseners are light lagers, originally from the Czech Republic and later Germany, with substantial hopping and a crisp finish. <br /><br />The pilseners both come from northern Colorado breweries with good track records of producing high-quality craft beer:<a href="http://www.lefthandbrewing.com/verify-age"> Left Hand Brewing Co</a>. of Longmont and <a href="http://averybrewing.com/our-ales/53">Avery Brewing Co</a>. of Boulder.<br /><br />Left Hand's Polestar Pilsner comes in at 5.5 percent ABV and 33 IBUs, using Magnum, Mt. Hood and Sterling hops along with Weyerman pilsner and pale two-row malt. It's distributed in 12-ounce bottles.<br /><br />Avery's Joe's Premium American Pilsner is less boozy but more hoppy, at 4.7 percent ABV and 42 IBUs. It's brewed with Magnum and Hersbrucker hops and unspecified two-row malt, and distributed in 12-ounce cans featuring the image of a gangster-looking dude.<br /><br />Both beers pour a pale yellow with an off-white head. The pilseners taste differently, though. The Left Hand pils is funkier and yeastier, with moderate hopping. The Avery pils is cleaner but much more aggressively hopped.<br /><br />Both are good beers. I slightly prefer Left Hand's funky complexity to Avery's big hop taste, but to each their own. You can't go wrong with pilsener, a fantastic style for summer.<br /><br />The Fourth of July tends to be an industrial lager holiday. I'm sure the liquor stores will sell plenty of Coors and Budweiser. But if you want to keep it craft, and you should, pilsener is an excellent option.Soggy Coasterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14646016892555782239noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6054604086947323974.post-76246450191567516902011-06-30T10:00:00.004-06:002011-06-30T10:00:01.988-06:00The joys of obscure German stylesA couple of brief notes from the wider world of beer:<br /><br />* <i>The New York Times</i> <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/29/dining/kolsch-a-summer-beer-worth-the-fuss-the-pour.html?_r=1&amp;scp=1&amp;sq=kolsch&amp;st=cse">opines</a> today on the value of the humble Kolsch, a light golden ale style native to Germany. Eric Asimov, who in the world's best job gets paid to write about such things, calls Kolsch an "ideal hot weather beer."<br /><br /><i>What is it about Kölsch? Well, it’s a snappy and beautifully refreshing golden ale, bright without being overbearing. From the first sniff of its grainy, malty aroma, to the delicately fruity, lightly bitter flavors in the mouth, to the brisk, clean, energetic feeling after you swallow, a good Kölsch offers a smooth journey of sensations that may be unremarkable individually but are extraordinarily pleasant as an ensemble.</i><br /><br />Of course, those of us in Durango can buy six-packs of Steamworks' <a href="http://www.steamworksbrewing.com/main/do/Colorado_Kolsch">Colorado Kolsch</a>, a past silver-medal winner at the Great American Beer Festival, at any corner liquor store. It's always amusing when big media outlets such as the <i>Times</i> learn about things we've been enjoying for some time. Welcome to the party, New York.<br /><br />Coincidentally, or not, because of the hot weather, I found myself last Sunday sharing an $8 pitcher of Kolsch at Steamworks. It's very light (4.85 percent ABV, 17 IBUs), but it really is an ideal summer beer. <br /><br />As Asimov notes, one can enjoy a fair amount of low-booze Kolsch with no regret.<br /><br />* Speaking of relatively obscure German styles, I was pleased to see a bottle of Berliner Weisse at <a href="http://www.starliquorsdurango.com/">Star Liquors</a> in Durango after enjoying a locally brewed <a href="http://beerat6512.blogspot.com/2011/05/stylish-beer-in-oregon.html">example</a> of the style at Block 15 Brewing in Corvallis, Oregon.<br /><br />The one at Star, <a href="http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/23495/36378">1809 Berliner Weisse</a>, is actually German. If you've had a hefeweizen, it's not so far off from Berliner Weisse. But the extremely pale Berliner Weisse style adds Lactobacillus yeast, giving an alluring tartness that in my opinion elevates it above the hefe. Definitely worth trying.Soggy Coasterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14646016892555782239noreply@blogger.com1